The American Electro Magnetic Telegraph: With the Reports of Congress, and a Description of All Telegraphs Known, Employing Electricity or GalvanismVail, Alfred
History
The American Electro Magnetic Telegraph: With the Reports of Congress, and a Description of All Telegraphs Known, Employing Electricity or Galvanism
Vail, Alfred
Telegraph -- History
This shows the whole operation of the Telegraph, in making a single dot
by a single touch of the key. In order now to explain more fully the
operation of the steel pen points upon the paper, which is in contact
with the grooved roller, let there be made four touches at the key;
this will be sufficient to start the clock work, and allow the paper to
have attained a uniform rate; then let six touches be made at the key.
The contact has been made six times and broken six times. Each time it
is closed, the electro magnet, as heretofore explained, attracts to
it, with considerable force, the armature of the pen lever, carrying
up the steel pen points against the paper, 2, under the steel roller,
S. The three points of the pen, falling into the three corresponding
grooves of the roller, carry the paper with them and indent it,[7]
at each contact. There then appear upon the paper, as it passes out
from under the rollers, six indentations, as if it had been pressed
upon by a blunted point, such as the end of a knitting needle would be
supposed to make, when pressed upon paper, placed over a shallow hole,
but in such a manner as not to pass through the paper, but raising the
surface, as in the printing for the blind. These indentations of the
paper are the marking of the pen, but varied in the manner now to be
described.
[7] The first working model of the Telegraph was furnished with a
lead pencil, for writing its characters upon paper. This was found to
require too much attention, as it needed frequent sharpening, and in
other respects was found inferior to a pen of peculiar construction,
which was afterwards substituted. This pen was supplied with ink from
a reservoir attached to it. It answered well, so long as care was
taken to keep up a proper supply of ink, which, from the character of
the letters, and sometimes the rapid, and at others the slow rate of
writing, was found to be difficult and troublesome. And then again,
if the pen ceased writing for a little time, the ink evaporated and
left a sediment in the pen, requiring it to be cleaned, before it was
again in writing order. These difficulties turned the attention of the
inventor to other modes of writing, differing from the two previous
modes. A variety of experiments were made, and among them, one upon
the principle of the manifold letter writers; and which answered
the purpose very well, for a short time. This plan was also found
objectionable, and after much time and expense expended upon it, it was
thrown aside for the present mode of marking the telegraphic letter.
This mode has been found to answer in every respect all that could be
desired. It produces an impression upon the paper, not to be mistaken.
It is clean, and the points making the impression being of the very
hardest steel, do not wear, and renders the writing apparatus always
ready for use.
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